Sal and Sara Mazzella would scuffle inside and outside their Highland home.

Sal is man enough to admit that his twin sister got the best of him when they were younger.

"She used to beat me up when we were smaller before high school," Sal said. "She was just strong from gymnastics."

The brother-sister fights turned from amusing to one-sided after the sixth grade. Sal grew and started wrestling for Highland. He needed to work on his moves. And, Sara was his only option when he got home from practice.

"Sal's weight and experience kind of took over and I didn't really have a chance," said Sara, who was born one minute before Sal.

The wrestling, which happened at times in their living room, now takes place at Highland Middle School, every weekday starting 3:30 p.m.

"Coach (John McFarland) likes to have me go with her because he thinks she'll listen to me more and I can show her some stuff that she might not learn from other guys in the room," said Sal, who has won 105 matches in his career.

McFarland says the Mazzellas are usually the first ones at practice and the last ones to leave.

"It's been a unique experience," McFarland said. "They've been a pleasure. I thought we would get a sister-brotherly fight but it never happened. They have been great. They both work hard."

On Sunday, Sal and Sara are hoping all of their hard work pays off at the Section 9 Division II championships at Liberty High.

Sal, who placed third at 138 last season, is the top seed at 145 pounds.

"When coach told me I had received the top seed, there was definitely a feeling like there was a target on my back and everyone is out to get me," Sal said. "It's just calming down and doing what I've done all year, just wrestling."

Sara, the fifth seed and only senior at 99 pounds, is attempting to become the first section girls champion. "I'm really nervous," said Sara, 18-13 this season, who plays volleyball and competes in track and field for Highland. "It will just be interesting wrestling the best in our section."

Sara wanted to wrestle her freshman and sophomore seasons. Fearing she would get hurt, her parents, Frank and Regina, didn't allow her.

"They were like, 'Sara, you are going to die. No,' " Sara said.

Sara asked again her senior year, her last chance to wrestle. This time, her parents couldn't say no and approved.

"It was reassuring for them that Sal would be there through it with me," Sara said.

"It's definitely different than any other sport that I've ever done. It's totally you. It's all up to you to beat the other person. You don't depend on a team. Your mind goes blank and you can't think. You just have to go with your gut feeling."

Sal's gut feeling is telling him his sister can bring home a title.

"If she just goes out and listens to coach and wrestles tough, she can shock some people," Sal said. "She can legitimately win it. She just needs to focus and get it done."

Sal's been preparing himself all season, to go six minutes every match Sunday. He says his confidence is boosted with Sara by his side.

"I feel like having her on the team has helped me practice, which is great and emotionally just having her there is nice," Sal said. "We are so close."